An 18-year-old New Zealand teen found herself stranded at a quiet Washington DC airport at 2am after a storm forced her Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to New York to land at Washington Dulles International Airport. The unexpected diversion left the young traveler in an unfamiliar city with little communication from the airline about where to stay or how to proceed with her journey.

The teen, traveling to the US for the first time, was en route to New York for a two-week holiday when Air New Zealand flight NZ2 was rerouted due to thunderstorms and air traffic congestion. After landing at 9:15pm local time, passengers remained on the tarmac for over two hours before being processed through security at 2am, when most services and hotels were closed.

“When we got through security it was 2am, so nothing was open. The airport was dead... I was quite nervous,” the teen said.

Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer, Alex Madden, confirmed the diversion was due to thunderstorms and limited air traffic capacity at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. He acknowledged the inconvenience and said the airline was encouraging passengers to find their own accommodation due to limited ground support in Washington DC. However, the teen and other passengers reported that the airline did not provide further assistance or communication after the initial landing.

Eventually, the teen joined a group of four other New Zealanders who organized their own transport to New York. They took an Uber to Washington’s Union Station and then boarded an early morning train to Manhattan, sharing the $191 fare per person. With the help of travel insurance, the teen plans to claim reimbursement for the expenses, though she expressed frustration over the lack of follow-up from Air New Zealand.

“I have no complaints about the staff on board. They were really nice and obviously it was out of their control. It was more just that we got to this random city that we weren’t meant to be in, and then they just stopped communicating with us about where we were supposed to go,” she said.

Meanwhile, the airline confirmed that the diversion also caused the cancellation of flight NZ1 from New York to Auckland. Flight NZ2, which was scheduled to depart from Auckland to New York later that day, was also canceled due to the aircraft being “out of position,” with passengers rebooked onto alternative flights.

This incident highlights the challenges of long-haul travel, particularly when unexpected disruptions occur. While airlines like Air New Zealand often operate from major hubs, diversions to secondary airports can complicate logistics, especially for solo travelers unfamiliar with the local area. It also raises questions about the level of support provided by airlines in such situations.

For now, the Kiwi teen is preparing to enjoy her holiday in New York, albeit with a story of adventure and mishap to remember. As travel resumes its high volume post-pandemic, incidents like these serve as a reminder that flexibility and contingency planning are key for international travelers.